NetSuite is the Cloud ERP Software available. If you’re among their more than 28,000 customers worldwide then you already know what a wonderful tool it can be.

If you’ve been running NetSuite for a while, though, you might have also noticed it has some limitations. Most ERPs do. ERPs like NetSuite offer some level of automation, but the workflows aren’t easy to customize for every single one of the financial processes that happen in your company.

Take Accounts Payable as an example. Business process automation (BPA) software/workflow for Accounts Payable (AP) works with an ERP to add and enhance functionality or configuration capabilities your company or organization may need. Sounds great, but it’s a bit more complicated than simply buying any accounts payable software/workflow and using that with NetSuite at the same time.

Why Add Business Process Automation?
ERPs are great for providing a big-picture way of integrating and managing business process workflow from a central hub. They typically allow you to gather and interpret data from a variety of business activities all in one spot. They help your company keep track of employees, distribution, inventory, financial processes, customers, and more.

One area that ERPs aren’t well suited for is managing individual business processes. For example, using NetSuite as your ERP gives you better insight into how accounts payable data fits into your business. However, it does not give you the tools you need to directly improve accounts payable management and processes. Also, you can’t fully automate the accounts payable department using ERP software on its own.

One area that ERPs aren’t well suited for is managing individual business processes. For example, using NetSuite as your ERP gives you better insight into how accounts payable data fits into your business. However, it does not give you the tools you need to directly improve accounts payable management and processes. Also, you can’t fully automate the accounts payable department using ERP software on its own.

Challenges Facing Integration

As mentioned earlier, NetSuite doesn’t typically do integrations with other software. They have a few preferred 3rd party vendors that they work with to help implement NetSuite for their clients. However, that doesn’t always mean the third-party integrator can fully integrate NetSuite to work with every business process. A typical implementation of NetSuite Accounts Payable Software is straightforward and standardized without a whole lot of customization.

The thing is, individual companies don’t always fit that “standardized” model. Each company is unique. Wouldn’t it be better if your software was customized to fit your company’s needs? That’s a lot better scenario than trying to make your company fit the software. You want to have AP software that does what you need it to do. Not software with functionality that limits what you can do with your AP processing.

Integrating with NextProcess

Integrating with NextProcess is an entirely different experience than working with most other software integrators/suppliers. It’s well known in the enterprise IT/software industry that about 1/3 of implementations fail entirely. Another 1/3 gets scaled back or someone changes the scope of the implementation. The low implementation rate happens for a variety of reasons including hidden costs, poor planning, and misunderstandings about functionality.

Final Thoughts

The benefits of a good ERP system like NetSuite are easiest to see if they’re integrated with business process automation. ERPs are great for the tasks they’re designed to do. However, their functionality isn’t without limits. Integrating them with BPA software provides your company with tools to keep up with payment deadlines, save money, and generate more accurate data.

With BPA software, you’ll be able to configure the process to match your system for accounts payable, purchasing, and more. For example, AP software makes it easy to send approvals for different invoice categories to the correct approver (such as sending invoices for legal purchases to the legal department and technology purchases to IT). Our software also makes full PO matching simple and automatic, whether you’re using NetSuite for purchasing or you add NextProcess’ PO module as well.